Convicted Franklin County murderer up for parole next month

Thomas K. Collins, 59, was convicted in 1981 of murdering his 5-month-old stepdaughter. Collins has been in a Kansas prison since, but is eligible for parole next month.

A former Ottawa man, convicted in 1981 of murdering his 5-month-old stepdaughter, is one of 21 Kansas inmates eligible for parole in May.

Thomas K. Collins, now 59, confessed to beating his stepdaughter to death in April 1980 in Franklin County. Collins pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but was convicted by a jury of second-degree murder.

Under now-defunct Kansas sentencing laws, Collins was sentenced to 15 years to life on the conviction, and he has been eligible for parole several times.

The public comment sessions for Collins and the other 20 offenders are: